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NFL doing everything it can to get Tim Tebow to attend the Draft

Will Tebow take the opportunity to yell at Mel Kiper in person on Thursday night? / SI.com

Tim Tebow has had 34 days to debate whether or not he will attend this week’s NFL Draft in New York City. As of Monday night, 72 hours before the event begins, Tebow still didn’t have an answer.

“He hasn’t made up his mind yet,” said his father, Bob Tebow. “I don’t know what to tell you.”

Tebow’s concern about dropping far in the draft and having a camera chronicle his disappointment is one issue delaying his decision. Tebow also said last month at an autograph session in Palm Beach Gardens that his ability to be with his family will be a deciding factor.

“Is it going to be easy to be with everyone? Because that’s such a moment that would be exciting and special,” Tebow said. “I don’t want to celebrate that with people that I don’t really know.”

But the NFL, in turn, is doing everything in its power to get Tebow to come, including changing its format from previous years and holding several lengthy phone calls with the Tebow family over the past couple of weeks to convince the family to attend.

“He belongs here,” said an NFL source in charge of inviting the prospects to the draft. “I assured them there’s nobody going to be sticking a camera in their face.”

While the NFL traditionally invites only a handful of the top prospects to New York, this year the league invited about 50 players, saying the draft is no longer about just the top prospects (17 have committed so far, including Florida’s Joe Haden). The NFL will also hold a red carpet-type of opening ceremony on Thursday night to add more showmanship to the broadcast.

In a press release last month, the NFL announced it “is allowing for greater flexibility than ever before, with players not bound to the green room at certain times and able to return to their hotels and have privacy. The league realizes some players are borderline picks from one round to another, so it will work with them to make the experience as enjoyable as possible.”

Tebow, who has been pegged to go as high as No. 9 overall and as low as the third round, certainly fits that description.

“When you look at (picks) 21-45, you can’t tell the difference between these players. They’re all good,” said the source. “We want to have some players on Thursday and we want to have some on Friday. It just adds more pizzazz to it.”

The NFL has also stressed to the Tebows that they can spend quality time together at the draft. The league will set up a second green room in which no cameras are allowed and the athletes are able to spend time with their family, and the NFL will allow prospects to leave the building for fresh air.

“If the family wants to go have dinner, that’s fine, they can go have dinner,” the source said. “Just tell us where we can find you so we can get you back here in a five, 10-minute notice.”

The NFL wants Tebow to attend, of course, because his presence would almost certainly boost the event’s television ratings. Tebow is not only one of the most popular college football players of all-time, but also perhaps one of the most polarizing given his unique skillset and outward display of his religious beliefs. If Tebow attends, he will be given the opportunity to go on set with ESPN and NFL Network to discuss himself and the draft process.

Most prospects are already in New York today, participating in various community events with children and at hospitals. Tebow is in New York, as well, but only to appear at an event for EA Sports.

The NFL source said last week that Tebow was leaning toward attending, but he didn’t know for sure. NFL.com reiterated that information with another report today, but as of Tuesday morning, league executives still do not know whether Tebow will be joining them this weekend.